Device for advancing a web of sheet material



Sept. 22, 1964 A. CARLSON 3,149,767

DEVICE FOR ADVANCING A WEB 0F SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 11, 1962 Arne Carlson INVENTOR WWQZDZMQ m ATTORNEYS 3,149,767 DEVICE FOR ADVANCING A WEB F SHEET MATERIAL Arne Carlson, Norrviken, Sweden, assignor to Arenco Ahtiebolag, Vallingby, Sweden Filed June 11, 1962, Ser. No. 201,551 Claims priority, application Sweden, June 10, 1961, 6,103/ 61 3 Claims. (Cl. 226-95) This invention relates to devices for advancing a web of sheet material in a conveying path and particularly to devices for feeding a reconstituted web of tobacco sheet material to the cutting die in cigar machines.

In such devices it is known to effect the advances of the sheet material along a conveying path by means of driving feed rollers. The contact surface between such a roller and the sheet material is small and thus the required friction between the sheet material and a roller is obtained by using a relatively great contact pressure. An inconvenience is, however, that the sheet material is liable to damage for example by extraneous, hard particles, which may adhere to the sheet material and may damage this when passing the feed roller. It is also well known to feed the sheet material by means of a conveying belt provided with perforations through which air is sucked in to obtain adherence of the material to the belt. Furthermore devices are known having inter alia a reciprocating carrier for feeding a reconstituted web of tobacco sheet material "to the cutting die in a cigar machine, the carrier being provided with perforations for suction of the sheet material to the carrier. In both of these well known devices, movable elements, the conveying belt and the carrier respectively, have to be connected to the suction terminal of a fan or a corresponding suction pipe, which is disadvantageous, for example with regard to sealing. A damageable sheet material, such as a reconstituted web of tobacco sheet material, also may be easily deformed by the perforations, particularly when the material is in tension, as is usual when the material is wound on a roll.

This invention has for its object to achieve a device of this kind in which the sheet material is subjected to particularly small mechanical stresses and which is simple and uncomplicated in construction. According to the invention means are provided to direct an air stream towards one side of the web of sheet material on the other ide of which a carrier member is arranged movable in the feeding direction of the web and having a contact surface facing the web and against which the web is pressed under the influence of the air stream. Thus, the sheet material is pressed against a smooth surface and every tendency of the material to crease is avoided by proper distribution of the air stream. The air force may be adjusted to allow slipping between the sheet material and the carrier member at a predetermined tension of the sheet material. A roller may be provided softly pressing the sheet material against the carrier during its forward motion to generate a suitable superposed friction between the sheet material and the carrier at a small constant tension of the sheet material.

The device is particularly suitable for feeding a reconstituted web of tobacco sheet material to the cutting die in a cigar machine because it is possible to use a very simple carrier member movable linearly to and fro, the leading portion of the web being picked up by the air stream and brought into contact with the carrier member when in its backmost position. After the web material is pulled out so that the cutting die is coveredthe carrier in its foremost position-said means used to direct an air stream towards the web, for example a perforated plate, are used to suck the web to the cutting die.

. r 3,149,767 {gs Patnt 1C6 Patented Sept.22,1964

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by Way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings which is an elevation of a device according to the invention.

A web 1 of tobacco sheet material is wound on a roll 2 and the leading portion of the web is pulled oif the reel and is drawn over a roller 3 to a cutting die 4. The leading edge of the web 1 is positioned on the rear portion of a knife 5 and has been cut in a preceding cutting operation. A carrier member 6 has imparted to it a reciprocating motion by means of a cam-operated fork 1'7 is guided by slots, not shown, and is shown in the drawing in its backmost position. The leading portion of the web 1 rests on a perforated wall 7 of a chamber 8 which by a duct 9 and a valve device 10 is alternately connected over a duct 12 to a pressure terminal 11 of a fan and over a duct 14 to a suction terminal 13 of the fan, which latter 13 and 14 are located in a plane behind 11 and 12. The ducts 12 and 14 are also connected with the interior of the cutting die 4 the top wall of which is provided with perforations.

The valve device 10 is operated in synchronism with the carrier member 6 by means of cam discs, so that the interior of the cutting die 4 and the chamber 8 are connected with the pressure terminal 11 when the carrier 6 moves forwards towards the cutting die, and with the suction terminal 13 when the carrier moves backwards.

When the carrier 6 starts moving forwards from the position shown in the drawing the leading portion of the web is thus lifted and is applied to the under-surface of the carrier 6 and at the same time the web is pressed softly against the carrier 6 by the roller 3. The web is then pulled forwards by the carrier to a position in which the leading edge of the carrier 6 is positioned somewhat past the left, forward portion of the knife 5. In this position the carrier is stopped and the interior of the cutting die 4 and the chamber 8 are connected with the suction terminal 13 of the fan by the valve device 10 causing the web to fall down on the perforated surfaces 7 and 15 and to adhere due to suction to these surfaces. The carrier 6 is then moved back to its backmost position.

During the backward movement of the carrier the web is cut in a suitable manner, by means of two conical rollers moved in the lateral direction of the web and rolling on the knife 5 of the cutting die. In order to avoid disturbing the movement of the rollers and to prevent the carrier engaging the web under the influence of the roller 3 the perforated top wall 7 of the chamber 8 as well as the roller 3 are lowered somewhat, by means of a cam disc, during the backward movement of the carrier. Furthermore the top wall 15 of the cutting die 4 is journaled to be movable in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the wall 15 by means of a rod 16 to eject the tobacco Wrapper cut out.

The invention is not limited either to the embodiment shown or to the application to cigar machines but numerous modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. The carrier may for instance generally consist of a rotating roller or a smooth endless belt against which the sheet material, e.g. a web of paper, is pressed by the air stream. The conveying of the sheet material or web may further be performed in any arbitrary plane.

What I claim is:

l. A device for advancing the leading end portion of a web of tobacco sheet material to a cutting die, comprising a carrier member slidingly mounted in the frame above the web having a smooth contact surface facing the web and a length essentially exceeding the length of the cutting die, driving means for reciprocating said carrier member in the feeding direction of the web between a foremost position in which the leading portion of the con- 3 tact surface covers the cutting die and a backmost position in which the contact surface is positioned just before the cutting die, means including a valve device operated in synchronism with said driving means to direct an air stream towards the under side of said web'during the forward motion of the carrier member.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for directing an air stream towards the web comprise a pair of chambers each having a perforated top wall through which the air stream is directed towards the web, which chambers are connected to the pressure and suction terminals of a fan by means of said valve device connecting the chambers to the pressure terminal of the 4 fan when the carrier is moving in the feeding direction of the web and with the suction terminal when the carrier is moving in the reverse direction.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the perforated walls is situated in the cutting die.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,100 Stevens Mar. 9, 1943 2,852,253 Pouliart et a1. Sept. 16, 1958 2,956,802 Huck Oct. 18, 1960 2,995,360 Simpson Aug. 8, 1961 3,076,366 Granstedt Feb. 5, 1963 

1. A DEVICE FOR ADVANCING THE LEADING END PORTION OF A WEB OF TOBACCO SHEET MATERIAL TO A CUTTING DIE, COMPRISING A CARRIER MEMBER SLIDINGLY MOUNTED IN THE FRAME ABOVE THE WEB HAVING A SMOOTH CONTACT SURFACE FACING THE WEB AND A LENGTH ESSENTIALLY EXCEEDING THE LENGTH OF THE CUTTING DIE, DRIVING MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CARRIER MEMBER IN THE FEEDING DIRECTION OF THE WEB BETWEEN A FOREMOST POSITION IN WHICH THE LEADING PORTION OF THE CONTACT SURFACE COVERS THE CUTTING DIE AND A BACKMOST POSITION IN WHICH THE CONTACT SURFACE IS POSITIONED JUST BEFORE THE CUTTING DIE, MEANS INCLUDING A VALVE DEVICE OPERATED IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SAID DRIVING MEANS TO DIRECT AN AIR STREAM TOWARDS THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID WEB DURING THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE CARRIER MEMBER. 